Back to the friggin’ RGA front engine bolt and still no joy. I put heat into it but can’t get a proper grip on the shaft to hold it while I turn the nut. I can’t get a small set of mole grips in there and pliers just aren’t strong enough. So I have to work out a plan to hold it firm while I undo the nut…and in the meantime continue to spray duck oil onto it. The front stud that passes through the silentbloc is still solid despite being given a daily dose of duck oil. Still the good news is that I managed to resist the temptation to hit the bolt with a hammer!
I decided to use the time in the garage to get the air box off plus some other bits of mudguard around the battery box. The air box bolts are part of little rubber bushes and where they are seized what happens is that they just turn but won’t free up. The good news is that they are held in place by slide in slots to the frame so you can legitimately tap them out with a drift and hammer. The final portions of the rear mudguard came apart surprisingly well – the nuts had taken all the muck off the road but still undid with no problem.
Having the battery box section all cleared makes it feel like progress. I have left the forks and front wheel in for now but as I left it I wonder if taking the front end off and balancing what remains on a box might be a better way forward. In this condition I would be able to turn the whole unit upside down which would give far better access to the stud that I want to grip. Hmmmm…..
Final bummer was that I noticed last week the exhaust on the 100 was swinging loose so I decided to tighten it up. Well the exhaust would tighten a bit but the problem is that the downpipe has cracked away from the exhaust flange. A minor annoyance but another thing to fix.
Nick 🙂
Bent screwdrivers, big hammers and old Laverdas 